1. Field of the Invention
One or more embodiments setting forth the ideas described throughout this disclosure pertain to the field of portable wireless mobile device computer systems, motion capture elements such as visual markers and sensors utilized in the capture of motion data. More particularly, but not by way of limitation, one or more aspects of the disclosure enable a wireless and visual hybrid motion capture system.
2. Description of the Related Art
One known technique to teach effective body mechanics utilizes video recording of an athlete and analysis of the recorded video of an athlete. This technique has various limitations including inaccurate and inconsistent subjective analysis based on video for example. Another technique includes motion analysis, for example using at least two cameras to capture three-dimensional points of movement associated with an athlete. Known implementations utilize a stationary multi-camera system that is not portable and thus cannot be utilized outside of the environment where the system is installed, for example during an athletic event such as a golf tournament. These fixed installations are extremely expensive as well. Such prior techniques are summarized in U.S. Pat. No. 7,264,554, filed 26 Jan. 2006, which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/647,751 filed 26 Jan. 2005, the specifications of which are both hereby incorporated herein by reference. Both disclosures are to the same inventor of the subject matter of the instant application.
Known systems generally utilize several passive or active markers or several sensors. There are no known systems that utilize as little as one visual marker or sensor and a mobile device to analyze and display motion capture data associated with a user and/or piece of equipment.
There are no known systems that allow for a group of mobile devices to share data to form three-dimensional motion capture data by triangulation of visual markers. There are no known systems that allow for a mobile device without a camera to obtain images from cameras or other mobile devices with cameras to display motion capture data.
There are no known mobile motion captures systems that allow for a user to align a camera correctly along the horizontal before capture of motion data having horizontally aligned images.
There are no known systems that allow for motion capture elements such as wireless sensors to seamlessly integrate or otherwise couple with a golf club, for example in the weight port of a golf club or at the end shaft near the handle so as to provide a wireless golf club, configured to capture motion data. In addition, there are no known systems that allow for motion capture elements such as wireless sensors to seamlessly integrate or couple with shoes, gloves, shirts, pants, belts, or other equipment, or a user, in such a small format that the user is not aware that the sensors are located in these items.
In addition, for sports that utilize a piece of equipment and a ball, there are no known portable wireless mobile device motion capture and analysis systems that allow the user to obtain immediate visual feedback regarding ball flight distance, swing speed, swing efficiency of the piece of equipment or how centered an impact of the ball is, i.e., where on piece of equipment the collision of the ball has taken place.
In addition, there are no known systems that provide portable wireless mobile device motion capture and analysis for equipment fitting and subsequent point-of-sale decision making for instantaneous purchasing of equipment that fits an athlete. Furthermore, no known systems allow for custom order fulfillment such as assemble-to-order (ATO) for custom order fulfillment of sporting equipment, for example equipment that is built to customer specifications based on portable wireless mobile device motion capture and analysis, and shipped to the customer to complete the point of sales process.
For at least the limitations described above there is a need for a wireless golf club motion capture apparatus.